Pressure-controller for tires.



E. B. KEITH.

PRESSURE CONTROLLER FOR TIRES.

APPLIGATION FILED MAR.19, 1914.

1,1 28,455. Patented Feb. 16, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

E. B. KEITH.

PRESSURE CONTROLLER FOR TIRES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 19, 1914.

ad 11 9 T A 6 1% ha T B F m t4 H e t a P.

B. B. KEITH.

PRESSURE CONTROLLER FOR TIRES. APPLIGATION TILED MAR.19, 1914.

E. B. KEITH.

PRESSURE CONTROLLER FOR TIRES.

APPLICATION TILED MAR.19,1914..

1,128,455. Patented Feb. 16, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

35 fig KQJQQAI- tube, and with a second passage through tion on the line7-'7 Fig. 10 is a perspective I is an elevation EDWARD B. KEITH,

or PONTIAC, incmenu, ASSIGNOB or oNn-mr- 'ro' JOHN 'WATCHPOCKET. OFPONTIAC, MICHIGAN".

PRESSURE-CONTROLLER. ron rmns.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD B. Knrrn, a citizen of the United States,and'a resident of Pontiac, in the county of-Oakland and State ofMichigan, have invented a new and Improved Pressure-Controller forTires, of which the followin is a'specification'.

This invention re ates to means for insuring a practically even pressurein the tires of vehicle wheels, and its object is to provide a simpleand efiicient pressure controlling device which will permit thedischarge of air from the tire to which it is attached whenever apredetermined pressure is exceeded, and which willpermit the entrance ofair when the pressure falls below a certain predetermined amount.

This invention consists, with a tire tube and a storage reservoir, 9.novel combined safety valve and pressure indicator formed with apassage. through which air may be discharged from the tire incombination which air may pass to said tire tube, the passage from thetire tube being opened by a rod which is normally held inoperative by aproper spring.

It further consists, in combination with a safety valve and pressureindicator as set forth of a valve for admitting air from the storagereservoir to the tire whenever the pressure in the tire falls below apredetermined tension. 1

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 witlkmy improved device. Fig. 2,is a transverse section of the rim of the wheel and storage reservoirs.Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the controller. Fig. 4 is a rearelevation with a part of thecase broken away. Fig. 5 is a section on theline 5-5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a view showin the pressure indicator andrelief valve. ig. 7 is a secof Fig. 4. Fig. 8 is a section of the line8-8 of Fig. 5 on a larger scale. 0 Fig. 9 is a detail of a modifiedconstruction ofthe parts shown in Fig. 8.

of the pressure indicating mechanism. Fig. 11 is a vertical section of amodified form of controller. Fig. 12 is a rear elevation of the same.Figs. 13 and 14 are sections on the lines 1313 and 14-44: of Fig. 11,respectively.

Similarreference characters refer parts throughout theseveral views.

Specification of Letters Patent.

of a vehicle wheel provided to like end of 'thischamber is suflicientlylarge to Patented Feb. 16, 1915.

Application fil ed March 19, 1914. Serial No. 825,872.

The hub 1, spokes 2, rim 3 and tire 4 shown in Fig. 1 may be of anydesired construction. To the spokes may be secured the reservoirs'5 and6, of any desired form, tubes preferred, clevises 7 being shown holdingthe tube in positlon. The reservoirs may be filled with highlycompressed air by any desired means connected to a well known tire-valve8, or similar device, conventionally shown in Fig. 1, mounted in theplug 9 in one end of the tube. The other end of the reservoir 5 may befitted with a plug 10 into which a pipe 12 connects, which pipe alsoconnects into a union 13 or any other desired form of connector. Thereservoir 6 may be connected to the reservoir 5 or be merely carried asa reserve source of air under pressure. A pipe 15 extends from the union13to the valve or stop-cock 16, and a nipple 17 connects to a T 18. Fromins this two tubes 19 and 20 extend to the body with four chambers, allvertical and parallelto each other. I tire tube, a second chamberreceives the control sprlng and pressure indicator, a third chamber therelief valve, and a fourth cham ber the valve to admit air from thereservoir to the tire. These chambers maybe constructed and arranged invarious ways, and it is not necessary that they are all in the samebody.

Referring now to Fig. 4, it will be noticed One chamber 28 receives thethat the chamber 28 communicates with the.

diaphragm end of-the control chamber 29, by means of a passage 30, sothat the pressure below the diaphragm will always be that in the tire.-

Referring to Fig. 8 which is on a larger ion scale, the chamber 29 isshown to be par-v tiallyv lugged by means of the bushin 32 which is aguide for the operating re 33, having: an arm 34 against 35 engages toforce the ids which the spring. rod against the diaphragm 36 of rubber,leather or othersuitable materialf. The bore of the lower chamber 29,Fig. 6, is a furnish a shoulder 37, a dust which this diaphragm may bepresse by means of the washers 38 and 39 and the plug 40. The washer 38has a circumferential groove 42 with which the passage may communicate,and a slot 43 through which the air in the groove can enter the spacebeneath the diaphragm;- At the u per end of the 1al chamber45 having agraduated dial 46, an indicator shaft 47, a'hand 48 thereon, a disk 49of glass or other transparent material, a rin 50 to hold the disk inposition, and a $111 pinion 53 on the shaft 47, that meshes with therack teeth 52 on the upper end of the rod 33. As the ressure in the tireincreases, the rod 33 w' be forced up by the diaphragm, and the shaft 47will be turned so that the hand 48 will indicate the pressure. Thechamber 28 communicates with tbetop of the valve chamber 55, by means ofa,passage 56. A well known relief valve I 57 :in this chamber is:constructed in the same manner as the valve shown in Fig. 8. A fb'ushing59 is screwed into the chamber 60 a d has a revoluble engagement withthe sleeve61, which carries a packing washer 62,

and-has, a. valve seat 63 at its upper end.

Secured'to the valve rod 64 is a valve 65,

and loose; therein is a spring 66 and a cup shaped abutment 67 thatengages the shoulder 68 at the upper end of the chamber 60. The springnormally holds the valve onto the seat 63. In Fig. 8, a small valve 70is mounted on the upper end of the rod 64, which valve is adapted to bepressed against the seat 71 at the end of the passage 72, as will" beexplained later.

Referring again to Figs. 4, 6 and 7, it will be .noticed that the arm 34on the rod 33, carries a headed adjustable screw 74, which is positionedso it will engage the lower end of the valve rod 75 of the valve 57 whenthe diaphragm 36 has been pushed upward by a predetermined pressure.This will permit the escape of the compressed air from the chamber 55,passage 56, chamber 28 and the tire, into the lower enlarged end 76 ofthe chamber 55 from whence it may pass out through the small openiilg77, that is normally closed by the thin metal late 78, held in place bya screw 79. en the pressure is too high in the tire, the diaphragm 36will be forced upward, and when the pressure falls the spring 35 willforce down the diaphragm. Adjacent the chamber 29 in which the rod 33 ismounted is the chamber 60 in which is mounted the valve just described.In the assage 82 between the lower ends of these chambers is a pivot 83on which is mounted a lever 84 of still' but resilient material. Anadjustable contact 85 on one arm of this lever is adapted to engage withthc lower end of thevalve rod 64 when the diaphragm 36 has forced downthe ether be employed to close the lower end of the chamber 60. Thedistance between the contact 85 and the lower end of the valve stem 64,when the diaphra is at its highest point, will determine th e difierencebetween the maximum and minimum pressures in the tire. When the pressurebecomes too great, which occurs when the tire becomes hot, the 'rod 33rises and opens thevalve 57 and permits the escape of a portion'of theair in the tire. When the pressure falls, the lever 84 lifts the valve65 from its seat and permits the compressed air to pass from thereservoir through the pipe 19, passage 72, chamber 60, passage 82, lowerend-of chamber 29, passage 30 and chamber 28 to the tire until thepressure is sufficient to again lift the diaphragm. Should the tireburst, the pressure will escape very quickly and the diaphragm willdescend suflicientl to force the valve 70 at the upper end 0 the valverod 64 against its seat.71, thus .preventing the escape of the air inthe reservoir. this movement of the diaphra might bend the lever 84, itshould be of resllient material. After the tire is repaired or replaced,the valve 23 in the pipe 20 is opened to permit air from the reservoirto fill the tire until the desired pressure is attained, after whichthis valve is again closed. Instead of a valve 70 at the upper end ofthe rod 64, a second valve such as shown in Fig. 9 may be employed.-Here a bushing 90, washer 91, valve seat 92, valve stem 93, valve 94,spring1 and abutment 96 are again employed, t e spring 95 being somewhatweaker than the 97 extends across the smallchamber 98 and carries alever 101 whose ends engage be tween the collars 99 on the rod 64 andcollars 100 on the rod 93. When the valve 65 spring 64. A rod lever 101will permit the spring 95 to seat the valve 94 and prevent further flowof air through the pi e.

In the modi ed form shown in Figs. 11 to 14 inclusive, the chamber 28 isreplaced by a separate chamber 104 into which the tire tube 24 extends,the tapering Washer 26 being again employed. A pipe 105 connects to thechamber 104 and to the case, a passage 106 connecting to the upper endof the usual chamber 55, shown in Fig. 4, which is provided with arelief valve operated by the arm, 34. A passage 107 connects the upperend of the chamber 55 with the lower end of the diaphragm chamber, sothat the pressure below the diaphragm will always be the same as in thetire. The lever 82 and the valve for admitting air from the reservoirare thesame as shown in Fig. 8, and

body cannot be mounted directly upon the tire tube. In all of thesedevices, the maximum and minimum of pressure in the tire is determinedby the spring 35. When a vehicle first starts oil, the tiresare cold andthe pressure is liable to be low. If too low, the valve 65 will permit asufficient amount to flow from the reservoir. When the tire becomes hot,the air expands and the pressure increases, but as soon as it becomestoo high, it will be released until no more than the predeterminedpressure remains. The tire will therefore never have too much or toolittle pressure. The reservoir can be easily made to with-stand greatpressure, so that a large supply of air can be carried.

The details of construction of the controlling device can all be changedto render it more' compact if desired, without departing from the spiritof my invention as expressed in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a pressure controlling device for tires, the combination of achamber having a passage connecting to a vehicle tire,a second chamberadjacent the first and connected thereto by an air passage, a diaphragmmounted therein, a rod longitudinally slidable in the chamber, a springto hold one end of the rod against the diaphragm on the opposite sidefrom the passage connecting the chambers, an indicator connected to 'therod, a relief valve mounted in a passage connecting to the first namedchamber and adapted to be operated by the rod when the pressure on thediaphragm reaches a predetermined amount, and a connection between thedevice and a source of air under pressure.

hicle tires, the combination of a body consisting of a series ofchambers connected to each other by passages, a valve in the passagebetween the first and third chambers, a diaphragm in the second chamberadapted to be moved by the air pressure in the first chamber, meansoperated by said diaphragm to operate the valve when the pressure in thechambers exceeds a certain amount, a connection between the firstchamber and a vehicle tire, and a connection between the device and asource of air under predetermined pressure.

3. In a controlling device for vehicle tires, the combination of a bodyconsisting of a series of chambers, the first chamber connecting to thetop of the third and to the bottom of the second by air passages, avalve in the passage to the third chamber, a dlaphragm in the secondchamber above the passage adapted to be moved up by the air pressure inthe passage, a rod actuated by under y the p the diaphragm to unseatsaid valve when the pressure below the diaphragm exceeds a prodeterminedamount.v and connections be.

tween the-first named chamber and a vehicle tire and with a source ofair under ressure.

4. In a controlling device for vehicle tires,

the combination of a body constituting a series of chambers, the firstchamber connecting to the top of the third and to the bottom of thesecond by air passages, a valve in the passage to the third chamber, adiaphragm 1n the second chamber above the passage thereto and adapted tobe moved by the air pressure in the passage, a spring held rod actuatedby the diaphragm to un seat the valve when the pressure on the diaphragmfrom the air passage exceeds a predetermlned amount, a tire tubeconnecting to the first chamber, a tubular reservoir of air pressure, aconnection between said reservoir and the device, and means forcontrolling the pressure of the air entering said device.

5. In a controlling device for vehicle tires, the combination of a bodyconsisting of a series of chambers, the first chamber connecting to thetop of the third and to the bottom of the second by air passages, avalve in thepassage to the third chamber, a diaphragm in the secondchamber above the passage adapted to be moved up by the air pressure inthe passage, a rod actuated by the diaphragm to unseat said valve whenthe pressure below the diaphragm exceeds a predetermined amount, andconnections between the first named chamber and a vehicle tire andbetween the device and a.

source of air under pressure, said connection between said chamber andtire including a tire tube, a tapering rubber washer therein and fittinginto a tapering entrance to said chamber, and a nut to hold the washerin position.

6. In a pressure controlling device for tires, the combination of achamber having a passage connecting to a vehicle tire, a second andthird chamber adjacent the first and connected thereto by passagesextending to the bottom of the second and top of the. third chamber, adiaphragm mounted in the second chamber above its passage, a

longitudinally slidable rod in engagement with the diaphragm, a springto press the rod and diaphragm against t e pressure of air from thefirst chamber, a pressure indicator connected to the rod, a relief valvemounted in the passage to the third chamber, and means in the thirdchamber connected to said rod whereby the valve is opened to release theair in the chambers when it reaches a predetermined pressure.

7 In a pressure controlling device for vehicle tires the combinationwith a body and a spring mounted therein, a rod actuated means actuatedby the pressure of the air within the tire for moving 'the rod againstthe tension of the spring,

. v by said 'rod when at a second predetermined position to permit theescape of air from the tire.

8. In a pressure controlling device for vehicle. tires, the combinationwith a body connetted to a tire and to a source of air under pressure, arelief valve to permit the'escape of air from the tire, a; supply valveto per'- the passage of air from said source to said tire, a rodmovh'ble in "one .direction by the pressure of air in 'the tire, and aspring to ove the rod in the opposite direction, said 'rod adapted toopen the su ply valve when the ressure in the tire falls below aredetermmed amount and to open the relief valve when the pressureexceeds a predetermined amount.

hicle tires, the combination with a body adapted to be connected to thetire tube and to a source of air under pressure, a valve to permit theescape of air from the tire, a'second valve to permit the passage of airfrom the source of -air under pressure to the tire, and aspring-tensioned con-' trolling device actuated by the pressure-of airin the tire for operatlng the valves to rmit air to enter the tire orescape therein when the air therein is below or above predeterminedpressure respectively.

10. In a pressure controlling device for vehicle tires, the combinationwith a body connected to a tire and to a source of air under pressure, arelief valve to permit the emape of air from the tire, a supply valve topermit the passage of air from the source of air under pressure to thetire, a rod movable in one direction by the pressure of the 9. In apressure controlling device for veair in the tire to open the reliefvalve when the air in the tire is above a predetermined pressure, aspring tomove the rod to open the supply valve when the air in the thefalls below a predetermined pressure, and means connected to said rodfor indicating the pressure in the tire.

11. In a pressure controlling device for vehicle tires, the combinationwith a body connected to a vehicle tire and to a source of air underpressure, means controlled by the'pressure. 1n the tire for connectingthe tire to the atmo here when the air-therein is above a pre eterminedpressure, and means for connecting the tire with the source of airunderpressure when the air in-the tire is below a predetermined pressure,said" means comprising a spring-tensioned member operated by thepressure of theair'in the tire for actuating said means. 12. In apressure. controlling device for vehicle tires,-the combination with abody and 'a springmounted therein, a rod movable in one. direction bythe spring, means actuated by the pressure of the air within a the tirefor moving the rod against the tension of the spring, a valve operatedby said rod when the air in the tire is below a predetermined. pressureto admit compressed air to the tire, .a second valve operated by saidrod to permit air to escape from the tire when it "is aboveapredetermined pressure, and a third valve to close the passage to saidsource of compressed air when pressure above atmospheric m the tlreceases.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this application in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

Witnesses:

EDWARD NJPAGELSEN, Hueo W. KREINBRING.

EDWARD B. KEITH. i

